Advantages

Disadvantages

A beautiful cream eye shadow that really does stay in place all day.

As I have now arrived into the early part of my fifties I have become more interested in make-up and in trying new and different products, and often gain ideas from make-up tutorials that I watch on YouTube. I prefer a no make-up look which actually requires some skill to achieve, as it does actually require some knowledge of products and how to use them. This is how I came to discover Estée lauder Double Wear Crème Eye Shadows as they were used in a video of a make-up look I was really interested in- it was called " SUMMER SKIN MAKE-UP TUTORIAL WITH ADDED FRECKLES" and it was on the Pixywoo Channel on You Tube. I have my own crop of freckles so didn't need to worry about adding those, but the eye shadow used was from this Estée Lauder range in the shade Antique Gold.

My Search For The Product------------------------------------------I set about trying to find this shade and have to say I was not overly impressed at all when I ventured to the relevant counters in Boots and in Debenhams. Now I am not used to shopping in the high end brand categories, as I prefer to use drug store products when I can. However I was expecting some sort of informed knowledge from the assistants in both stores who were not forthcoming when I asked for the product, and were seen rummaging as if they had no idea what the product was, or anything about its qualities! In the end both concluded the shade was out of stock, but neither had any idea what the shade even was so could not advise me as to alternatives!

So it was John Lewis online that provided the shade for me which arrived in good time for my holiday, which was the main reason I purchased this item, as I wanted a shade to wear in the sun that would not crease or fade during the day.

This range of eye shadows is designed to be very long lasting and to be ideal for hot and humid climates and so I was delighted when my pot arrived.

The price has recently increased to £17.50 and there are currently 8 shades available from Estée Lauder.co.uk. I think this is a very high price to pay for one shadow, but I was willing to pay this as I wanted to achieve an easy summer look on holiday that I could do with just one shade. I am also increasingly visiting more humid countries as I have family abroad, so am looking to purchase products that have staying power in humid places.

The product claims to stay in place for 15 hours without creasing or fading at all, and it can be used in just the same way as a MAC Paint Pot - that is it can be used alone, or as a base over which powder shadow can be layered.

It is also recommended for mature skin as it can be patted on with a finger, and this reduces any pulling of the delicate areas of the eyelid. These shadows are mostly matte or have semi pearl finishes so are ideal for my age group especially those who prefer subtle colours.

Presented in a small box which contains a pot of the shadow in a glass container with a gold lid, this certainly has a very high end look to it so full marks for presentation. Though on the slightly negative side this really isn't the best format for travelling.

The shade Antique Gold is absolutely beautiful, and I can easily see why it was recommended in this tutorial. It is a bronze gold with a very slight shimmer with brown undertones so it is a warm shade.

I apply this just using my finger and you only need a tiny amount. You can use with or without primer- I tend not to bother as on my eyelids it doesn't crease at all all day, but I have read some reviews where ladies say that they do need a primer first, which rather defeats the point of spending all this money on something that claims to do both jobs in one. So I would say be aware of this, and research carefully those reviews that report this over on Make-up Alley, as it is a lot to spend if your experience doesn't mirror that of my own. Having said that the reviews of this product are very positive in the main over there giving the shade a healthy 4.2 out of 5, with 66% saying they would re-purchase.

What I really love about this product is that you can apply in the morning and then forget about it all day long and even into the evening. On my holiday I was swimming and snorkeling and the shadow stayed in place all day without the need for further applications, so it certainly performed in line with what I had hoped and really exceeded my expectations.

Any Concerns?-----------------------One really important concern that I have though is in relation to the application. This sets almost immediately so you have to work really quickly to achieve a perfect look- and I mean really quickly. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to work with after as little as a minute, so if you are looking to use two colours together then speed is of the essence. I feel this is the price that you pay for the longevity this shadow has, it remains in place until you choose to remove it! This said it does lift off with make-up wipes or lotions with little problem - I tend to use either Boots No 7 wipes or Bioderma and either remove this effortlessly.

In terms of other shades I can tell you that I went on to purchase 3 more, as I love them so much. Golden Sands was my next shade that I bought, and I use this to highlight my brows sometimes when I am wearing the Antique Gold shade on my lids. Golden Sands is a pale gold shimmery shadow and it can be worn alone too which gives a more subtle wash of colour. Both the Antique Gold and this lighter shade can be over layered with powder shadows, and I have done this many times now using various colours, but I think my favourite combinations are Woodwinked by MAC, and Melon Pigment also by MAC which complement these shades beautifully.

Now when I am not on holiday I tend to wear mostly green eye shadows as they suit my eye colour, and so I also purchased the shade Precious Jade which I absolutely adore. It looks beautiful by itself or with a green shadow over the top such as Sumptuous Olive by MAC, and I like to wear an eye liner with this and always choose the Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Stash as this complements it beautifully.

There is also a brown shade that I bought called Mochachino which is a pretty coffee shade - ideal for natural looks. Other shades are available including more autumnal colours.

I think the real benefits for me with using these shadows has to be their staying power. I am a contact lens wearer who also has hay fever really badly all summer long, and my eyes are often weeping and provide special challenges for my eye make-up. Having found these shades I would say that they are ideal for me as they provide long lasting colours which really do stay put whatever I am doing.

My only negative apart from the speed at which these dry and become difficult to blend is the cost. Relative to MAC Paint Pots these are a further £3 more, but having said that you need only the tiniest amount of product so they last a long time and do not dry out either in my experience.

I would recommend purchasing from Debenhams on-line but they are out of stock of two of the shades I mentioned, but if you are in their beauty club then they are the best value, and you will then earn points on your purchase which you can then redeem against further purchases within the beauty store counters.

I suppose my final question has to be how do these compare with MAC Paint Pots which are similar? I love these but they do not have the same staying power that these shadows by Estée Lauder have. They can both be used as stay alone shadows or as bases and both have stunning shades to choose from.

In conclusion I would say these Estée Lauder shades are a good investment especially if you are a lady of more mature years, and I highly recommend the Antique Gold shade for holidays as it it looks stunning especially with a slightly tanned complexion. It also looks stunning with the Bare Again MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick that I reviewed in a previous article.

I don't like buying high end make-up as the cost makes me think many times before I purchase. However sometimes the products are worth the outlay and this is one of those in my opinion.

This review will also be published on Ciao under my user name VIolet1278.